vessel of time › todoroki shoto

Chapter 11: Touch

  After school, we headed to the gym and sat down together. I had taken out my sketchbook and explained what I needed, a weapon. "Rather than designing a whole separate weapon... I'd say it would be better to implement it in your existing hero costume," he finally said after thinking for awhile. I nodded in agreement, designing a completely different weapon would probably be troublesome, it would be easier to make modifications to my costume instead.

  "All I have so far are hidden blades to give me an easier alternative to use my quirk, it's faster too. But what can I do to also turn it into a weapon of some sort?" I pondered, tapping my slender fingers against the cold and smooth vinyl flooring of the gym. We both stared at thin air as we started to think of ideas and we pretty much became silent. And then my mind wandered off to this morning where we had embraced each other for what seemed like forever and how he had cupped my face as if he were going to lean in towards me and...

  Instinctively, I shook my head as my face became flushed at that thought. What are you thinking?! I slowly turned to look at Shoto and, as I expected, he was looking at me oddly. "Are you okay?" He interrupted my train of thoughts as his narrowed eyes looked at me with suspicion.

  "Erm.. Yeah, I just thought of something embarrassing," I quickly sputtered and immediately looked away.

  "Well, I think I have an idea," he changed the topic real fast, thank god. "You said you have hidden blades right?" My ears perked up as I nodded. "Which means that your enemies don't know they're there. And judging by last time's matches, most of the fights were pretty close ranged. Perhaps you can add in more blades at other areas that are triggered by touch. If anyone ever lays a finger on you, a blade will immediately slice through their skin, that way, you can make your enemies avoid close ranged with you which is your quirk's weakness," he elaborated thoroughly, "the blade will immediately go back into its hidden spot again though which means it will come out in a blink of an eye, your enemy won't be able to catch it with his eyes fast enough."

  My eyes lit up. "That's a really good idea! It reminds me of a cactus, but its spines are hidden," I concluded before I started sketching his idea out onto my hero costume sketch that I had drawn earlier on. I added little small sockets containing the blades around my costume, I also had its mechanism already in my mind. All I had to do was to put it in action. "Thanks Shoto," I looked up at him only to see his fixated gaze already on me. He quickly turned away. "Well... I'm done now, I'll drop my modification request and my sketches of your idea off at the office after our training, should we start now?" I added, smiling at him, I didn't know why I was smiling, maybe I was just happy to be here with him.

  What soon followed after that was an exhausting physical training. I polished my ability to read an opponent's actions and how to decide what to do next. He taught me new kinds of attacking methods and areas on the body that I can hit in order to put my opponent in a daze. One of them was the crotch, especially if it's a guy, nice, I'll make sure to use that. Time flew past fast. Before I knew it, it was already 8.30pm. Wow. I was the first one to notice the time. We quickly packed up before making our way to the office, thankfully it was still open. I attached the modification form to my sketch before dropping it off in a box at the front of the office. I was really excited on how this idea will turn out. We hurriedly made our way out of the school.

  Somehow, I felt weird, it felt like someone was... following us. If it weren't for Shoto by my side, I would have fully freaked out by now. Without thinking, I held on to Shoto's hand. He looked at me in confusion as I gripped it tighter. "S-sorry," I whispered and let go. We continued walking peacefully in silence. Until I heard a faint sound of footsteps behind us. I quickly turned my head, side glancing to see who was behind, however, there was nobody. Was I just imagining things? That must be the case. And then the sounds came back, this time, I felt nervousness starting to go off in me. I gripped onto Shoto's arm this time. "Shoto, I feel like there's someone following us," I whispered as we both stopped. He turned around to look, it seemed like we were the only one walking on the sidewalk, there didn't seem to be anybody else.